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Topic: Gold Plating... anyone tried a kit? (Read 13133 times)

Like everything else, I get obsessed with doing things myself. Based on a comment made by Kvom about gold plating my pin wheel on my clock I went to see a chap who could do it with his plating setup in his kitchen. Being impressed with the price for plating the whole thing but seeing his home setup, the thoughts started creeping in...you know the ones...."I can do that myself and I can do it better" !!!

So only a quick google had me viewing kits and such on tonnes of sites. I found very little info on comments made by people who are actually gold plating. Talking numbers now, in truth the chap quotes me £140 to plate my entire clock, including 9" x 12" backplate which I thought was amazing...I was expecting a figure more than £340+!! A half decent looking kit starts at £200 and a chap is selling one near where I live, second hand but seemingly unused for £200 with extra solutions (which are quite pricey). The chap who I went to see was having excellent results and yet the photos of the kits I have seen look very similar to the sort of thing he was using!

Now before I dive in head first as I often do, has anyone by any chance got any experience with a gold plating kit?

I believe the kit sold second hand will allow gold, silver, brass and nickle plating!

Well progress has been made! I`ve managed to get hold of the chemicals required and based on what I`ve seen, put together my brush and tank plating kit. I purchased some chemicals which arrived today including the gold solution (which was v v Expensive £50 for only 100ml!!) but I have had great success!!!

I managed to plate the end of a piece of brass bar stock and then I plated a stainless steel watch back that I had lying around. It looks great and I`m well chuffed!

So I`ll do some of my clock for sure and hopefully might pick up some bits and pieces of others wanting plating work done to recoup some money on the setup. So if anyone wants anything plating then give me a shout - good prices guaranteed :-D

Chris,Sorry to be coming late to the party, but you may be more satisfied in the long term if you first nickel plate your parts - even a microscopic layer is all that is necessary. When plating gold over brass, the gold will continue to migrate into the brass, eventually allowing the brass surface to be re-exposed. It won't immediately be apparent to the eye, but the exposed brass will eventually corrode or patina.

The layer of nickel prevents the gold migration.

I have experience with this effect, having plated a copper buss bar and having it begin to revert within a couple of months.

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Weston ByePractitioner of the Electromechanical Arts.author of The Mechatronist columnDigital Machinist magazine

I`m not too sure how that worked David. I`ve never heard of gold nitrate having a shelf life...never mind such a short one which I guess they use?? Mine must be several years old and is great, infact, my grandma gave me a 24k earing and I`ve been using that to replace the gold in solution by connecting it to the anode.

Has anyone tried TEXAS PLATERS SUPPLY? I know they are still in business but you would have to do the GOOGLE aproach. 6v battery and the kit had copper, nichol, gold and silver. Tried plating gun parts and it worked really well but he finish was so very thin even with numerous applications. For clock parts should work like a dream as no dummy is always handling the parts as in a gun trigger or hammer.